Here are a few things we have learned about India.

Toilets don’t flush, pushing the handle flows a jet of water in, release the handle, no more water-sort of like a faucet
Service is impeccable, you cannot pour your own water, serve your own food, open your own door, or put a napkin on your lap-and this is not just in the hotels, this is everywhere HOWEVER…if what you want differs from the norm…you are in for a bit of an argument
Most marriages are arranged, “love” marriage, even in the big cities, is very rare
It is harder to lose 1 kg than 1 pound
People love having their photo taken
There is more to see than you can imagine-everyone we met told us that their home town was amazing and we should visit it
Brian Adams is King (No joke, he brings the house down in the local discotheques)
Driving defies description, ask for video
Food is AMAZING
Where does a two ton Indian cow sleep? Wherever it wants to–Including the middle of the road!
Michael Jackson is a government conspiracy
There are 36 million gods in a cow
Cricket is more similar to baseball than thought (unlike Jerry Seinfeld, Jay now knows what a wicket googly is)
Indian Trains resemble clown cars…but they fit more people
Cars are much smaller here–a Ford Fiesta is considered hip, cool, and roomy
A motorcycle gas tank makes a fine child seat
Indians eat very late at night
History is huge and I saw so many similarities to Greek culture
It is easier to blog than pack (said Jay as I sit here typing)
Move over NYC, Bombay truly is the city that never sleeps
Cows, goats, dogs, camels, and elephants roam the streets
All marble bathrooms are nice
A living room is called a Hall
The people here are some of the nicest, most welcoming on the planet

Thank you, India for a sharing your home, country, and culture with us! We have loved our trip and are eager to return.

We head to Bombay in a few hours, then home tonight at 1 am.

The last week has been a blur…will post the remainder of the trip when we return.

Good Journey!

Saturday morning in Goa, we went to the beach to enjoy the waves and the sunrise. We were greeted by a little girl puppy, who I imagined to be about a year old. She was such a cutie and so friendly.

During high season, the beaches are filled with vendors and tourists. Monsoon season started 2 weeks ago and the tourists left and the vendors packed up. This poor little girl was too young to have experienced the monsoon before and looked like she relied on the tourists to feed her. I pet her and felt her ribs and her poor coat. It broke my heart. Jay even was affected.

We did not have food that morning, so could not feed her. We came back that evening and I called out to Leela (I decided to name her after the resort). Much to our surprise, she came running out from behind a dune. We ordered room service and brought her a hamburger to eat. She devoured it. She was so hungry but so happy to eat, her tail wagged the entire time. It was so bittersweet to know we were feeding her for the day but not helping her completely survive the harsh upcoming season. Jay said he wished we could give her food to save for the next 6 months and eat as needed.

The next morning, we came back with leftover Naan from dinner the night before. Leela was now getting a full belly…two meals in two days. She was even sweeter today and seemed so happy to spend time with us. When we left, she walked with us, but definitely knew her boundaries, she would not come near the entrance to the resort. No stranger to being shooed often by the guards.

We went to breakfast at the hotel, a delicious and abundant feast of southern Indian cuisine. Yum, The food in Goa was definitely the best we have had in India. Since it was Sunday and we were leaving in a few hours, I grabbed a large handful of ham for Leela. We headed to the beach and she greeted us again when called. We were short on time so we fed her, took tons of photos, gave her some loving before leaving. We walked away and she followed. She kept sitting, as if to say, “It is nice here guys, let’s stay here.” Then she would follow us some more and sit again. Eventually, she stayed where she was and watched us leave. It was an emotional day, I was upset about work issues, we were leaving Goa, and leaving this poor puppy to suffer. I cried the whole way out and on the plane. Jay was not much better off. The little bugger got under our skin and we felt hopeless to help her.

The next day, Jay announced he wanted to get her. We devised a plan to go rescue her. I would fly back to Goa. We scoured the net for how and spoke to the concierge here at Le Meridien. People were so helpful, I feared that in a place of such poverty and sickness of its people, one homeless dog would not be so concerning. I was wrong. I heard stories of similar rescues, even a story of an elephant crying. Heartbreaking.

I eventually reached a Goan rescue who promised to go look on the beach for her the next day. We sent photos and waited. In the morning, we heard that we had rescued a puppy. Hooray!

Turns out she was 7 months old and healthy. She had never experienced a monsoon and they told me that the first was always the hardest, and many don’t survive.

We tried to get her home to the states, but rabies certificates and timing made it very tight and difficult. We considered flying back next month to get her, flying to London, or trying to fake a 30 day old rabies certificate. In the end, we decided it would be best to let her go to a well researched Goan family with children and a fenced in yard. Regardless of what happens, she is now safe, fed, and happy with the wonderful people at GAWT. Thank you Grace!

We are donating money to cover the expenses of her recovery, treatment, and sterilization. I am also hoping to ask my vet to donate some much needed supplies for this place that does so much to control its animal population humanely.

We are so happy you are okay, Leela! Enjoy your new life!

Our underwater camera is always fun. The Leela swimming pool was just so beautiful, it was the perfect model for us. Below are some photos of us in the cave, Jay playing water polo with who I could best describe as the “Indian Stuart,” and some of us being plain silly.